Amazing and very rewarding hike!!! Make sure you bring enough water. I ran out right after hitting the top ( I took 1.5 liters) Thankfully I was hydrated enough to walk back down to the falls(probably 4 miles) to get more. Totally worth it!!! I was glad I had trekking poles with me, I would definitely reccomend to do the same!

Did this hike on July 13th, weather was amazing and we got very lucky to finish this hike before the fire. Definitely an ass kicker but if you’ve trained for it you’re fine. I took 4 liters of water and was fine but my friends took less and filtered water at the river. Apply and reapply sunscreen because the sun is on you for most of the trail. I recommend getting a harness for the cables because although it doesn’t make it easier going up, you do have a sense of security just in case. Take it slow, it’s a great adventure worth taking your time for.. Take lots of pictures and have fun!

This trail has amazing views! We hiked all the way up to Nevada falls, it was a hard hike with A LOT of stairs. Once you get to venal falls, the crowd starts to disperse. Bring lots of water for this hike and sunscreen. This hike is on the hard side but the views from the top make it worth it!! Take the John Muir trail back, it adds a mile but you get to see another side of the waterfall by taking the John Muir trail back.

My best friend and I found this trail when we visited Yosemite a few summers ago. This was a bit difficult as it was ALL uphill so go prepared with water and light snacks! Once you hike about 30 min, you will come up to a break area with water fountains for drinks/bathrooms, etc. Then after, there are some stone steps which are very steep and possibly slippery due to the mist waterfall. Those will take you all the way up to the top of the waterfall, as well as a cold swimming hole to swim in after the hike! There is an area where you can slide down the smooth rock into the water. We just jumped in and swam to the other side of the hole. We went in late June so it was amazing to jump into and then lay on the hot rock on the other end. No towel needed since we dried off pretty quick! I know the hike continued on but we stopped there, turned around and made our way back down to the bottom. That was the easy part since it was all downhill,especially after the cool down in the swimming hole.

I’d do this hike again but I’d be more prepared next time physically! If you aren’t in shape physically, this will be a tough hike for you! You probably won’t make it to the top if you bring young children due to the steepness towards the top. Can be a bit dangerous. If they are older and mature enough to handle the hike, it would be worth it as they would enjoy the swimming hole! Makes for a great reward! The trail was pretty populated, but it will thin out towards the top due to the length & difficulty of the hike. Very beautiful scenery during the entire hike! Bring a camera! Afterwards, we couldn’t believe we’d only hiked 1.5 miles up to the top! Felt much longer!

What an awesome trail, definitely a hard trail.. great views. Lots of birds to see!! Glad I got to finish it this time and no rain!! Lots of shaded areas during the trail!! A must do again and add some of the side trails along the trail!!

Take the mist trail up to Nevada Falls, and then come back down the John Muir Trail. The views of Liberty Cap are amazing from the ridge line as you are leaving Nevada Falls. The trail is crammed with people, so be prepared and leave early. Hike is much harder than you would think based on the number of people there.

Seen a reviewer post previous to mine asking about dogs (Lauren Woods)...i believe i did see a dog on this trail when we went BUT i wouldnt recommend taking a dog to the top of the falls. The trail starts off paved before tuning to dirt mixed with stone staircase...the stones arent an even 8" or 10" step, they vary alot and some of the steepest parts its easily 18"-2ft in a step up height, plus a narrow railing at the end to get to the top of first falls. PLUS this is a very crowded hike, so if you arent on your way down and almost finished with the hike by 10AM u will be dodging the "ant trail" of people on their way up that started at like 9:30 or 10am. The hike down was not fun with all the people but overall avery fun trail moderate trail. Not sure how much water is left but we hike 1st week of June and it was perfect. I have some photos posted of the trip, specifically a couple of the falls if anyone want to see for perspective. My IG is @m_packmore

Very cool and relaxing hike up the falls. Took about 3 1/2 hours round trip but that was just to the top of Nevada fall. The most from the falls feels good for about the last 1/2 mile. Very populated trail btw. Also accesible form the John Muir trail

Great easy hike! Paved the whole way. Did this hike with a large group with an age range from 3 months old (in a stroller) up to 82 years old. We came in a dry season, so we were able to climb around the boulders below the falls to get pretty close to the falls.

Great hike! Take your time up to Nevada falls, things get easier at Little Yosemite Valley... Until Subdome that is. I found Subdome to be more difficult than the cables. It seems like it goes on forever.

Bring good gripping shoes and gloves for the cables! I was at the summit at approximately 9AM, stayed for 15 minutes and encountered lots of hikers on the cables on the way down.

Hiked up via mist trail and down by JMT to lessen the strain on the knees.

Most amazing hike I’ve ever done! Be sure to get a hiking permit from the national park website. They have a park ranger at the cables making sure that if you climb to the top, that you have a permit. If you start from half dome village and go to the top of half dome and back down...it’s about 18.5 miles round trip. Prepare yourself.

Tips:At least 3 liters of water Harness with carabiner or some way to clip in to the cables. Rubber gripped gloves to climb the cables Extra socks Gu energy as snacks Hiking poles are not a must but a HUGE help.

An absolute must! An amazing hike to soak in the magnitude that is Yosemite. If hiking in the summer, start early to avoid the sun as well as the crowds. As others before have, I suggest taking the John Muir trail back down to avoid the crowds and the wet rock steps going back down the trail. This is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done! .....when you do it early.

Hike of a lifetime! Sure as hell the hardest one I've ever done, but things like this make me want to sleep in a tent the rest of my days. My buddy Huston's watch said 18 miles from our campground 5 minutes from the Mist Trail in Upper Pines. Left at 5 a.m., summited around 12:30, stayed up top for 30, then got down in about 2 hours. 4 of 6 of my party did the cables, not too bad, the stairs beforehand are worse. Just put that body on autopilot, but don't forget to look up or else you might miss it!

What an excellent hike and overall experience! The hard work is certainly paid off with the views at the top.

We started the day at 3:45am from Upper Pines campground. We reached the cables around 9am and the summit at 9:30. Starting early is the best advice we received as there were only a handful of people on the cables and a dozen or so at the top. Traffic on the sub-dome had picked up considerably by the time we were descending. We returned to camp at 3:15 with plenty of time for a soak in the mighty Merced River alongside camp to assist in recovery!

Start early, bring ample water and food and enjoy the hike! 55,000 steps on the pedometer for the day...